Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has recently made history by becoming the second Indian, after Rakesh Sharma, to venture into outer space. A poignant detail of his journey, revealed after his voyage, was his choice of music for the momentous occasion: the iconic track ‘Yun Hi Chala Chal Rahi’ from Ashutosh Gowariker’s Shah Rukh Khan-starrer film, ‘Swades’. This selection deeply moved veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar, who penned the song, expressing his profound happiness and surprise.

Akhtar, reflecting on his song traveling to space, shared his sentiment of being “deeply moved.” He recalled the recording process with Udit Narayan and Kailash Kher, noting the overwhelmingly positive public reaction to its lines, especially ‘koi Ganga nahaye barson mein’. He articulated his philosophy on nationalism, which he believes should be organic rather than expressed through